Tag Archives: quarterbacks

Tom Brady’s staying power

It’s not just that Tom Brady is getting ready to start in his sixth NFL title game, tying the record for quarterbacks shared by Otto Graham and Bart Starr. It’s that those Super Bowls have spanned 14 seasons, from 2001 to ’14 — the longest stretch for any QB. Pretty remarkable.

After all, if injuries don’t get you in the demolition derby of pro football, age usually will. Or maybe, later in your career, you won’t be surrounded by the same kind of talent you were earlier. But here Brady is, all these years later, still putting the Patriots in position to win championships. And at 37, he might not be done. I mean, it’s not like the Pats’ roster is a seniors community.

Here’s the list Brady now heads:

LONGEST SPAN OF SEASONS AS A STARTING QB IN THE NFL TITLE GAME

[table]

Quarterback\, Team(s),First Title Game,Last Title Game,Span

Tom Brady\, Patriots,2001 vs. Rams (W),2014 vs. Seahawks, 14

Johnny Unitas\, Colts,1958 vs. Giants (W),1970 vs. Cowboys (W), 13

John Elway\, Broncos,1986 vs. Giants (L),1998 vs. Falcons (W), 13

Norm Van Brocklin\, Rams/Eagles,1950 vs. Browns (L),1960 vs. Packers (W), 11

Arnie Herber\, Packers/Giants,1936 vs. Redskins (W),1944 vs. Packers (L), 9

Sammy Baugh\, Redskins,1937 vs. Bears (W),1945 vs. Rams (L), 9

Joe Montana\, 49ers,1981 vs. Bengals (W),1989 vs. Broncos (W), 9

Bart Starr\, Packers,1960 vs. Eagles (L),1967 vs. Raiders (W), 8

Roger Staubach\, Cowboys,1971 vs. Dolphins (W),1978 vs. Steelers (L), 8

Sid Luckman\, Bears,1940 vs. Redskins (W),1946 vs. Giants (W), 7

Bob Waterfield\, Rams,1945 vs. Redskins (W),1951 vs. Browns (W), 7

[/table]

Note: Van Brocklin and Waterfield split the quarterbacking for the Rams in 1950 and ’51. So if you want to kick them off the list, go ahead. I included them because, well, they’re both Hall of Famers.

Also, if you want to get technical about it, Starr’s 1967 win over the Raiders wasn’t in the NFL title game, it was in the AFL-NFL title game. (The leagues hadn’t merged yet.) He beat the Cowboys for the NFL championship — in the storied Ice Bowl.

Graham’s name, by the way, is missing because he played his first four seasons in the rival All-America Conference. If you include those years, his Championship Span was exactly a decade (1946-55), which would put him just behind Van Brocklin.

As you can see, Unitas won titles in 1958 and ’70 — a span of 13 seasons. That’s the record for a quarterback . . . and one Brady would break if the Patriots knock off the defending champion Seahawks.

Source: pro-football-reference.com

Arnie Herber lets fly with a jump pass for the ’36 Packers.

Final Four quarterbacks

The NFL didn’t even have a Final Four until 1967, when it split the conferences into two divisions and added an extra playoff round. Before that, there was only a Final Two — the championship game. So when we talk about Final Four quarterbacks, we’re talking only about the Super Bowl era (which began in ’66).

In those 49 seasons, no QB has been to the Final Four more often than the Patriots’ Tom Brady, who’ll play in his ninth AFC title game Sunday against the Colts. In fact, Brady has gotten to the

Tom Brady

Final Four as many times as Hall of Famers Dan Marino, Bob Griese and Fran Tarkenton (3 each) combined.

It’s been an incredible run for him and the Patriots, especially since there’s free agency now, which is supposed to make it harder to sustain success. Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach and Ken Stabler never had to worry about losing a key offensive player to another team. Brady, on the other hand, has seen receivers Deion Branch (Seahawks) and Wes Welker (Broncos) and linemen Damien Woody (Lions) and Logan Mankins (Bucs) either take the money and run or get traded for salary cap reasons. Yet here he is again, going for another AFC championship.

Granted, it’s easier to make the Final Four these days with so many more playoff spots available (12 instead of the original eight). If you can just sneak in as a sixth seed, you’ve got a shot. But that doesn’t really apply to Brady and the Pats. Every time they’ve qualified for the postseason, they’ve done it as the division champs.

Anyway, here’s the company Brady keeps:

QUARTERBACKS WHO REACHED THE MOST FINAL FOURS, 1966-2014

[table]

Quarterback\, Team(s),Seasons,W-L,Total

Tom Brady\, Patriots,2001*\, ’03*\, ’04*\, ’06\, ’07\, ’11\, ’12\, ’13\, ’14,5-3, 9

Joe Montana\, 49ers (6)/Chiefs (1),1981*\, ’83\, ’84*\, ’88*\, ’89*\, ’90\, ’93,4-3, 7

John Elway\, Broncos,1986\, ’87\, ’89\, ’91\, ’97*\, ’98*,5-1, 6

Terry Bradshaw\, Steelers,1972\, ’74*\, ’75*\, ’76\, ’78*\, ’79*,4-2, 6

Roger Staubach\, Cowboys,1971*\, ’72\, ’73\, ’75\, ’77*\, ’78,4-2, 6

Brett Favre\, Packers (4)/Vikings (1),1995\, ’96*\, ’97\, ’07\, ’09,2-3, 5

Donovan McNabb\, Eagles,2001\, ’02\, ’03\, ’04\, ’08,1-4, 5

Jim Kelly\, Bills,1988\, ’90\, ’91\, ’92\, ’93,4-1, 5

Ken Stabler\, Raiders,1973\, ’74\, ’75\, ’76*\, ’77,1-4, 5

Peyton Manning\, Colts (3)/Broncos (1),2003\, ’06*\, ’09\, ’13,3-1, 4

Ben Roethlisberger\, Steelers,2004\, ’05*\, ’08*\, ’10,3-1, 4

Steve Young\, 49ers,1992\, ’93\, ’94*\, ’97,1-3, 4

Troy Aikman\, Cowboys,1992*\, ’93*\, ’94\, ’95*,3-1, 4

Daryle Lamonica\, Raiders,1967\, ’68\, ’69\, ’70,1-3, 4

[/table]

*Won Super Bowl.

Some other fun facts:

● Stabler played in the most consecutive Final Fours — five. This will be Brady’s fourth in a row, tying him with McNabb, Aikman, Kelly and Lamonica. Kelly played in five in six seasons;

Ken Stabler

Bradshaw and Staubach played in six in eight seasons.

● Brady’s nine Final Fours have come in a 14-year span (2001-14). That puts him second only to Favre, who played in five in a 15-year stretch (1995-2009).

● Griese (Dolphins) and Kurt Warner (Rams/Cardinals) were 3-0 in conference title games. Jim Plunkett (Raiders) and Len Dawson (Chiefs) were 2-0. (Dawson’s games, like most of Lamonica’s, were AFL championship games.) Elway was 5-1, Kelly 4-1.

● Aikman and Young faced each other in three straight Final Fours in the ’90s (1992-94). Troy won the first two games, Steve the last. Bradshaw and Stabler did the same in the ’70s (1974-76) — with the same result. Terry won the first two, Snake the finale. Finally, Elway and Bernie Kosar (Browns) squared off three times in four seasons in the ’80s (1986-87, ’89), with John taking all three games.

Footnote: As impressive as Bill Belichick’s Patriots have been in the 2000s, their nine conference title games in 14 seasons don’t quite measure up the 14 in 17 seasons by Tom Landry’s Cowboys (1966-82) or the nine in 11 seasons by Al Davis’ Raiders (1967-77). Of course, the Pats might not be through. Brady certainly doesn’t look like a quarterback who’s losing his edge, even if he is 37.

The last of Joe Montana’s seven Final Fours was with the ’93 Chiefs.

Rodgers, Romo and the shadow of Montana

As the NFL cranks up for the playoffs, it’s hard not to notice that Aaron Rodgers and Tony Romo are playing quarterback about as well as it can be played. Romo’s 113.2 passer rating for the Cowboys this season is the sixth highest in history; Rodgers’ 112.2 for the Packers is ninth. They’ve had their way with almost every defense they’ve gone up against (even, in Tony’s case, the Seahawks).

The question now becomes: Can they keep playing at this ridiculous level in the postseason? Or more to the point: Can they — or anybody else, for that matter — ever do what Joe Montana did 25 years ago?

When you talk about a quarterback “playing the position about as well as it can be played,” you have to start with Joe Montana in 1989. During the regular season, he compiled a 112.4 rating, which was the record at the time. Then he actually turned it up a notch in the playoffs and posted a rating of 146.4, which is still the record in the Super Bowl era (and only 11.9 points shy of a perfect score, 158.3).

Among Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks, Montana’s 1989 playoff performance is the gold standard by a sizable margin, as you can see:

REGULAR SEASON AND POSTSEASON COMBINED

[table]

Year,Quarterback\, Team,G,Att,Comp,Pct,Yds,TD,Int,Rating

1989,Joe Montana\, 49ers,16,469,336,71.6,4\,321,37,8,119.4

1994,Steve Young\, 49ers,19,548,377,68.8,4\,592,44,10,113.5

2009,Drew Brees\, Saints,18,616,435,70.6,5\,120,42,11,110.8

2010,Aaron Rodgers\, Packers,19,607,402,66.2,5\,016,37,13,103.1

1996,Brett Favre\, Packers,19,614,369,60.1,4\,516,44,14,97.2

1982,Joe Theismann\, Redskins,13,337,219,65.0,2\,749,21,12,96.2

1992,Troy Aikman\, Cowboys,19,562,363,64.6,4\,240,31,14,95.4

2004,Tom Brady\, Patriots,19,555,343,61.8,4\,279,33,14,95.0

2012,Joe Flacco\, Ravens,20,657,390,59.4,4\,957,33,10,93.4

1988,Joe Montana\, 49ers,17,487,294,60.4,3\,804,26,11,93.3

1986,Phil Simms\, Giants,19,526,297,56.5,3\,981,29,22,81.6

[/table]

Montana’s victory lap, if you want to call it that, really began in the ’88 playoffs. That’s when he started a streak of eight postseason games in which he had a rating of 100 or higher (three in ’88, three in ’89 and two in ’90). Check out his numbers for the 19-game stretch beginning in the ’88 postseason and running through the end of ’89. (Note: He missed three games in ’89.)

MONTANA’S STATS FROM 1988 PLAYOFFS THROUGH 1989 PLAYOFFS

[table width=”400px”]

G (RS/PS),Att,Comp,Pct,Yds,TD,INT,Rating

19 (13/6),559,392,70.1,5\,144,45,9,119.0

[/table]

His ratings in those six postseason games, by the way, were 100.5, 136, 115.2, 142.5, 125.3 and 146.7 — against the best competition the NFL had to offer. How’s that for quarterbacking? And let’s not forget, the rules weren’t nearly as QB-friendly then. The league-wide passer rating in ’88 (70.6) and ’89 (73.3) was much lower than it was this year (87.1).

Montana has set the bar very high, perhaps impossibly high. Anyway, that’s what Rodgers and Romo are up against as they try to “play the position about as well as it can be played.”

Source: pro-football-reference.com

Will anybody ever play quarterback better than Joe Montana did 25 years ago?

Will anybody ever play quarterback better than the 49ers’ Joe Montana did 25 years ago?

Quality starts for quarterbacks, 2014

At the start of the season, I suggested the NFL needed a new stat: quality starts for quarterbacks. The bar shouldn’t be set terribly high, I’ve decided, just as it isn’t in baseball for pitchers (at least six innings, three or fewer earned runs). My recommendation is: Any start in which a QB posts a passer rating above the NFL average for that season constitutes a quality start. The league average this year was 87.1 — an all-time record — so we’re looking at how many times a guy had a rating of 87.2 or above (minimum: 10 passes).

As it turns out, 16 of the 32 teams had a quarterback who racked up eight or more quality starts. In other words, half the clubs had a QB who played above average, rating-wise, in at least half the games. Here’s a chart that lays it all out. Take a look, and then we’ll discuss it.

MOST QUALITY STARTS (RATING OF 87.2 OR BETTER), 2014

[table]

QS,QB\, Team (Season Rating),High,Low,100+

14,Aaron Rodgers\, Packers (112.2),154.5 vs. Panthers,34.3 vs. Bills,11

13,Tony Romo\, Cowboys (113.2),151.7 vs. Colts,53.7 vs Eagles (1)*,10

11,Ben Roethlisberger\, Steelers (103.3),150.6 vs. Colts,64.4 vs. Browns (2),10

11,Drew Brees\, Saints (97.0),140.0 vs. Steelers,69.7 vs. Panthers (2),7

11,Andrew Luck\, Colts (96.5),140.4 vs. Jaguars,41.7 vs. Cowboys,7

11,Joe Flacco\, Ravens (90.9),146.0 vs. Bucs,41.7 vs. Texans,7

11,Tom Brady\, Patriots (97.4),148.4 vs. Bears,59.9 vs. Chiefs,6

10,Russell Wilson\, Seahawks (95.0),127.3 vs. Redskins,47.6 vs. Cowboys,7

10,Matt Ryan\, Falcons (93.9),155.9 vs. Bucs,48.6 vs. Bengals,7

10,Alex Smith\, Chiefs (93.4),144.4 vs. Patriots,45.2 vs. Titans,5

9,Peyton Manning\, Broncos (101.5), 157.2 vs. 49ers,56.9 vs. Bills,9

9,Philip Rivers\, Chargers (93.8),131.4 vs. Bills,31.0 vs. Dolphins,6

9,Colin Kaepernick\, 49ers (86.4),125.5 vs. Cowboys,36.7 vs. Seahawks (1),4

8,Eli Manning\, Giants (92.1),148.8 vs. Rams,36.6 vs. 49ers,8

8,Ryan Tannehill\, Dolphins (92.8),125.6 vs. Chargers,70.4 vs. Chiefs,6

8,Andy Dalton\, Bengals (83.3),143.9 vs. Saints,2.0 vs Browns (1),4

[/table]

*Figures in parentheses = first or second meeting.

Maybe the biggest surprise is that Peyton Manning, who led all quarterbacks in 2013 with 15 quality starts, dropped to nine this year (one more than Andy Dalton). Is it just a blip, or has the decline begun? He is, after all, almost 39. Philip Rivers, meanwhile, fell from 13 to nine in an up-and-down season, and the Lions’ Matt Stafford went from 10 to five – and as a result, doesn’t even appear in the chart. (No matter. The Lions improved from 7-9 to 11-5 and made the playoffs, thanks a defense that gave up 94 fewer points.)

At the top of the list are most of the usual suspects — Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Andrew Luck, Ben Roethlisberger and Russell Wilson. The only one who jumps out at you is Joe Flacco, who had 11 quality starts even though his overall rating of 90.9 isn’t that far above average. Good Joe had seven ratings of 100-plus; Not So Good Joe had two ratings in the 40s.

Football already has tons of stats, of course, but it seems like there’s a void here. If anybody has a better idea for evaluating quarterback performance, week in and week out — besides just wins and losses, I mean — I’d love to hear it.

Source: pro-football-reference.com

The Packers’ Aaron Rodgers was No. 1 in the NFL this season in quality starts. But that’s not what he means here.

Buried in the year-end stats

Russell Wilson finished with 849 rushing yards this season, fifth most by a quarterback in modern pro football history (read: since 1950). Here are all the QBs who rushed for 600 or more. (Note: Joe Geri doesn’t really belong because he was single-wing tailback with the 1950 Steelers – and ran more than he threw.)

What’s been less noticed is that Wilson tied for 16^th in the whole league in rushing. That’s the highest any quarterback has ranked since 1990. Indeed, only 10 times since ’50 has a QB cracked the Top 20. The list:

NFL QUARTERBACKS WHO FINISHED IN THE TOP 20 IN RUSHING (SINCE 1950)

[table]

Year,Quarterback\, Team,Att,Yds,Avg,TD,Rank

2014,Russell Wilson\, Seahawks,118,849,7.2,6,T16^th

2012,Robert Griffin III\, Redskins,120,815,6.8,7,20^th

1990,Randall Cunningham\, Eagles,118,942,8.0,5,9^th

1972,Bobby Douglass\, Bears,141,968,6.9,8,12^th

1953,Bobby Layne\, Lions*,87,343,3.9,0,20^th

1952,Bobby Layne\, Lions*,94,411,4.4,1,9^th

1952,Charlie Trippi\, Cardinals,72,350,4.9,4,16^th

1951,Tobin Rote\, Packers,76,523,6.9,3,8^th

1951,Charlie Trippi\, Cardinals,78,501,6.4,4,9^th

1950,Johnny Lujack\, Bears,87,397,6.3,11,19^th

[/table]

*won title

In the early ’50s, as you can see, the NFL went through a phase with quarterbacks that was lot like the current one. Layne, Trippi (a former halfback), Rote and Lujack were also major running threats. In fact, Layne won two championships playing that way.

Where is Michael Vick, you ask? Surprisingly, Vick never finished higher than 21^st in rushing (in 2006, when he gained a career-high — and league record — 1,039 yards for the Falcons). It’s a reflection of The Decline of the Running Game that Wilson can rush for 849 and end up tied for 16^th. Just think: He would have been the leading rusher (or tied for the lead) on 17 teams.

Source: pro-football-reference.com

The Seahawks’ Russell Wilson tied for 16th in the NFL in rushing, the highest a QB has ranked since this guy in 1990.

At least Russell Wilson was sober

Late in Sunday night’s game, with the Seahawks on their way to 596 yards, NBC informed us it had been 56 years since the Cardinals had allowed so many. You’d have to go all the way back, the graphic on the screen said, to their 1958 season finale in Pittsburgh, when they were Chicago Cardinals and the Steelers played at Pitt Stadium.

Bobby Layne and Co. racked up 683 yards that frigid December day — 472 passing, 211 rushing. It was so ridiculous that a running back, Tom “The Bomb” Tracy, threw a 72-yard touchdown pass. But here’s the best part, the part no one remembers: Layne played with a wicked hangover. World class. On national television, no less.

“Bobby drank, no doubt about that,” Art Rooney says in Ray Didinger’s book, Pittsburgh Steelers.

“The greatest day Layne ever had with the Steelers came the last day of one season at Pitt Stadium against the Cardinals. It was snowing like crazy. There couldn’t have been more than 5,000 people at the game because you had to be an athlete to get up the hill to that park on a dry day, let alone in snow and ice.

“Well, anyway, Bob Drum [a local sportswriter] came in the press box and said, ‘Your quarterback’s not gonna make it today.’ I knew what Drum meant because he and Layne were running mates around town at night. I said, ‘Don’t worry, he’ll be here.’

“Drum said, ‘I’m telling you, I was with him last night, and there’s no way he’ll even make it to the ballpark, let alone play.’

“This was unusual for Bobby, but it was the last game of the season, and he was blowing off steam. Bobby showed up at the stadium, and he looked awful. Well, Bobby went out and had himself a day you had to see to believe. The footing on the field was so bad everybody on both sides was falling down except Bobby. He was staggering all over the field and picking up unbelievable yardage. I never saw him have another day like it.”

Layne never did have another day like it. His 409 passing yards were the high for his 15-year Hall of Fame career. Indeed, it was just the eighth time an NFL quarterback had thrown for 400. (Layne also ran 17 yards for a score. That might have been his “staggering all over the field” moment.)

“Darkness almost overtook the athletes in the longest pro game ever played here,” Jack Sell wrote in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It required 2:57 and took up 213 plays, 54 in the first period, 61 in the second, 60 in the third and 38 in the fourth.”

(The “213 plays” seems off. I count 93 snaps for the Steelers, 60 for the Cardinals, plus 15 penalties, 11 kickoffs, 6 punts and 2 sacks – a max of 187. Which raises the question: Was Sell out drinking with Layne and Drum, too?)

Quarterbacks: To run or not to run?

It’s nice if an NFL quarterback can move around a bit, but being able to take off and run has never been a high priority. The position has always been, first and foremost, about throwing the ball.

The game evolves, though. And it’s reasonable to wonder, with the recent influx of several mobile quarterbacks, whether the definition of The Perfect QB will eventually change, too. A decade from now, will the paradigm be more of a hybrid player, a combination passer-runner who can throw darts and also operate the read-option?

The instant success of the Seahawks’ Russell Wilson, the 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick and the Redskins’ Robert Griffin III, all of whom made the playoffs in their first season as a starter, gave even more momentum to the 21^st Century Quarterback idea. And last year Cam Newton, another dual threat, guided the Panthers to a 12-4 record and the NFC South title.

But in 2014 only Wilson has escaped the barbs of critics and the wrath of his fan base. Defenses have gotten better at dealing with some of the college-y stuff these quarterbacks do, and now it’s up to the QBs (and their coordinators) to adjust. Adapt or die.

The jury is very much out on whether they can . . . or even — as far as some coaches are concerned — want to. One of the problems with having a quarterback with unusual talents is that if you build a special offense for him, what happens if he gets hurt? Do you have a second QB with unusual talents who can step in, or do you have to go back to a more conventional attack? And can a team be successful switching gears like that?

You might be interested to know that the five running-est quarterbacks in modern history — I’m going by rushing yards per game — are all active, as you can see in this chart:

MOST RUSHING YARDS PER GAME BY A QB (SINCE 1945)

[table width=”550px”]

Years,Quarterback,Team(s),Yds,YPG

2001-14,Michael Vick,Falcons\, Eagles\, Jets,6\,010,43.9

2011-14,Cam Newton,Panthers,2\,457,41.0

2012-14,Robert Griffin III,Redskins,1\,461,40.6

2012-14,Russell Wilson,Seahawks,1\,782,38.7

2011-14,Colin Kaepernick,49ers,1\,513,32.2

1985-01,Randall Cunningham,Eagles\, Vikings\, 2 others,4\,928,30.6

1969-78,Bobby Douglass,Bears\, Chargers\, 2 others,2\,654,29.2

1999-09,Daunte Culpepper,Vikings\, Dolphins\, 2 others,2\,652,25.3

1985-99,Steve Young,Bucs\, 49ers,4\,239,25.1

2006-11,Vince Young,Titans\, Eagles,1\,459,24.3

[/table]

(Minimum: 32 starts.)

Granted, these averages usually decline as the quarterbacks get older, but they’re worth noting nonetheless.

Still, there’s no getting around the fact that 12 of the 14 Super Bowls in the 2000s have been won by QBs who weren’t much of a running threat at all. Only Wilson (2013) and the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers (2010) have had wheels worth worrying about (or as I like to refer to them, WWWAs).

RUSHING YARDS PER GAME BY SUPER BOWL-WINNING QBS (2000S)

[table width=”550px”]

Years,QB (Super Bowl Wins),Team,Yds,YPG

1999-14,Peyton Manning (1),Colts\, Broncos,678,2.7

2004-14,Eli Manning (2),Giants,465,2.8

2001-14,Drew Brees (1),Chargers\, Saints,684,3.4

2000-14,Tom Brady (3),Patriots,804,3.9

1994-08,Brad Johnson (1),Vikings\, Redskins\, 2 others,657,3.7

2008-14,Joe Flacco (1),Ravens,625,5.7

1994-07,Trent Dilfer (1),Bucs\, Ravens\, 3 others,853,6.6

2004-14,Ben Roethlisberger (2),Steelers,1\,163,7.4

2005-14,Aaron Rodgers (1),Packers,1\,817,16.8

[/table]

Note: Figures don’t include today’s games.

When you scan down these charts, you can understand why some coaches look at Wilson and the other passer-runners and say, “Who needs ’em?” The ones who don’t, though, the more open-minded types like Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh, have a chance to take pro football in a new direction. This is a healthy thing, of course. Without it, offenses would still be running the single wing and punting on first down.

Source: pro-football-reference.com

The 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick leaves the Chargers behind en route to a 151-yard rushing night Saturday.

RG3 and The Noise

Statistics are hardly all-telling, but they can help quiet some of the noise surrounding a player. By “noise,” I mean the chatter that’s based more on impressions, gut feelings and personal biases than anything factual.

These days, Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III is one of the league leaders in noise. Coach Jay Gruden practically held his nose the other day when he announced that Griffin would start Saturday’s game against the Eagles (after Colt McCoy had been put on injured reserve). Gruden has made no secret of his displeasure with just about everything Griffin does — from holding the ball too long in the pocket to being inattentive to the finer points of “his craft” to staying on the ground too long after a sack (which made the coach wonder whether his quarterback was too hurt to run a Real Play in the closing minutes).

Others have chimed in as well, such as Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton. One of the more curious things Scramblin’ Fran said was: “He is a terrible passer, has no accuracy.”

Griffin may not have textbook mechanics, but he somehow — miraculously — gets the ball to his target. See for yourself:

TOP 5 UNDER-25 QBS FOR COMPLETION % (MINIMUM: 750 ATTEMPTS)

[table width=”350px”]Years,Quarterback\, Team,Pct

2012-14,Robert Griffin\, Redskins,63.66

1999-01,Daunte Culpepper\, Vikings,63.33

2004-06,Ben Roethlisberger\, Steelers,62.40

1991-94,Brett Favre\, Packers*,61.86

2008-09,Joe Flacco\, Ravens,61.70

[/table]

*Also threw four passes with the Falcons as a rookie.

Maybe we just misunderstood Tarkenton. Maybe what he meant was: RG3 isn’t as incredible(!) as Tiger Woods was at the age of 5. (I think we can all agree with that.)

By the way, before anybody scoffs at Griffin’s completion percentage and says, “All he does is dink and dunk,” take a look at this:

ADJUSTED YARDS PER ATTEMPT FOR UNDER-25 QBS (MINIMUM: 750 ATTEMPTS)

[table width=”350px”]

Years,Quarterback\, Team,AYPA

1983-86,Dan Marino\, Dolphins,8.04

2012-14,Robert Griffin III\, Redskins,7.43

2004-06,Ben Roethlisberger\, Steelers,7.39

1999-01,Daunte Culpepper\, Vikings,7.36

2011-13,Cam Newton\, Panthers,7.25

[/table]

So regardless of how long the ball is in the air, Griffin is getting good yardage out of his throws — more than any quarterback except Marino. (Note: I’m looking only at QBs since 1960. And yes, I realize that, with all the passer-friendly rule changes, these rankings are going to be tilted toward the present.) In terms of unadjusted yards per attempt, in case you’re wondering, he’s seventh at 7.55 (three spots behind Our Friend Fran, who comes in at 7.76.)

Two more things. RG3 is the least interception-prone under-25 passer ever. Doesn’t that count for something? Isn’t ball security part of being a good QB?

LOWEST INTERCEPTION % BY AN UNDER-25 QB (MINIMUM: 750 ATTEMPTS)

[table width=”400px”]

Years,Quarterback\, Team,Att,Int,Pct

2012-14,Robert Griffin III\, Redskins,999,20,2.00

2012-14,Andrew Luck\, Colts,1\,250,29,2.32

1999-01,Donovan McNabb\, Eagles,1\,074,25,2.33

2010-12,Sam Bradford\, Rams,1\,196,28,2.34

1985-88,Bernie Kosar\, Browns,1\,334,32,2.40

[/table]

Last chart. File this one under: It Takes a Village. You can grouse about Griffin’s play all you want, but one of the biggest reasons he hasn’t won more is that his defense hasn’t exactly been the Steel Curtain.

FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED SINCE 2012

[table width=”300px”]

Rank,Team,Pts

1.,Russell Wilson’s Seahawks,718

2.,Colin Kaepernick’s 49ers,830

29.,Robert Griffin’s Redskins,1\,236

[/table]

OK, I’ve made my case – not for RG3’s impending greatness but for not giving up on him like Gruden (and others) seem inclined to do. “He will never make it,” Tarkenton said. “He will be out of football. He will be in the same graveyard as JaMarcus Russell and Vince Young.”

“He” is still 24. Aren’t we being a bit hasty?

Or to put it another way: In a decade, Griffin will be four years younger than Peyton Manning is now.

Source; pro-football-reference.com

Johnny Football’s brutal baptism

How much of a horror show was Johnny Manziel’s overhyped starting debut with the Browns? Pretty bad, to be sure — 54 net passing yards and zero points in a blowout loss to the Bengals. Still, I came up with three Hall of Famers who had a worse one, rating-wise, and various other legends and No. 1 overall picks who struggled mightily as well. That puts Manziel in the middle of this group:

HOW JOHNNY MANZIEL’S FIRST NFL START STACKS UP

[table]

Year,Quarterback\,Team,Opponent,Att,Comp,Yds,TD,Int,Rating,Result

1983,John Elway\, Broncos,Steelers,8,1,14,0,1,0.0,W\, 14-10

2005,Alex Smith\, 49ers,Colts,23,9,74,0,4,8.5,L\, 28-3

1970,Terry Bradshaw\, Steelers,Oilers,16,4,70,0,1,19.3,L\, 19-7

1967,Bob Griese\, Dolphins,Chiefs,22,11,101,0,2,25.0,L\, 24-0

2014,Johnny Manziel\, Browns,Bengals,18,10,80,0,2,27.3,L\, 30-0

2009,Matt Stafford\, Lions,Saints,37,16,205,0,3,27.4,L\, 45-27

1989,Troy Aikman\, Cowboys,Saints,35,17,180,0,2,40.2,L\, 28-0

2004,Eli Manning\, Giants,Falcons,37,17,162,1,2,45.1,L\, 14-10

1979,Joe Montana\, 49ers,Cardinals,12,5,36,0,0,49.3,L\, 13-10

2012,Andrew Luck\, Colts,Bears,45,23,309,1,3,52.9,L\, 41-21

1998,Peyton Manning\, Colts,Dolphins,37,21,302,1,3,58.6,L\, 24-15

[/table]

If you’re wondering how on earth Elway won that game — all the other QBs lost — the answer is: He sat out the second half with a bruised right elbow, and backup Steve DeBerg rallied the Broncos to victory.

As for Bradshaw, his first start wasn’t exactly well received by the Pittsburgh media. This how the Post-Gazette covered it. “I couldn’t hit the side of a building today,” Terry said. “I know I was late throwing the ball a number of times, which gave [the Oilers] a chance to cover up, but they were coming at me strong.”

But do the math. Elway, Bradshaw and Griese had worse days than Manziel did, and they went on to appear in a combined 12 Super Bowls, winning eight. I’m not in any way predicting similar success for Johnny Football. Just sayin’. First impressions can be deceiving.

Source: pro-football-reference.com

51 . . . and done

For whatever reason(s), there’s a Bermuda Triangle aspect to certain NFL records. They’re just hard to break — harder than you’d think they’d be. Norm Van Brocklin’s record of 554 passing yards in a game, for instance, still stands 63 years later, even though the deck is increasingly stacked in favor of quarterbacks. And Johnny Unitas’ record of throwing a touchdown pass in 47 consecutive games wasn’t seriously threatened for more than half a century.

The latter record, now in the possession of the Saints’ Drew Brees (54), continues to prove elusive. The Patriots’ Tom Brady made it to 52 last season, only to be stopped by the Bengals on a rainy day in Cincinnati. And Sunday, the Broncos’ Peyton Manning had a 51-game run end against the Bills on a perfectly lovely day in Denver.

Also, lest we forget, the Cowboys’ Tony Romo had a 38-gamer halted by the Eagles two weeks ago. Anyway, those streaks — Brady’s, Manning’s and Romo’s — are three of the five longest in the league’s 95 years. And they all came up short.

Back in September, I wrote about the history of the record (which was once owned by Cecil Isbell, the long-ago Packer) and even dug up some vintage video. If you want to look the original post again — or even for the first time — I’ll make it easy for you. Here’s the link.

The Packers’ Cecil Isbell throws a touchdown pass in the 1939 title game vs. the Giants.

Source: pro-football-reference.com

PRO FOOTBALL DALY

The whole 100 yards — and sometimes the end zones, too.

Tag Archives: quarterbacks

Tom Brady’s staying power

LONGEST SPAN OF SEASONS AS A STARTING QB IN THE NFL TITLE GAME

Final Four quarterbacks

QUARTERBACKS WHO REACHED THE MOST FINAL FOURS, 1966-2014

Rodgers, Romo and the shadow of Montana

TOP POSTSEASON RATINGS BY SUPER BOWL-WINNING QBS

REGULAR SEASON AND POSTSEASON COMBINED

MONTANA’S STATS FROM 1988 PLAYOFFS THROUGH 1989 PLAYOFFS

Quality starts for quarterbacks, 2014

MOST QUALITY STARTS (RATING OF 87.2 OR BETTER), 2014

Buried in the year-end stats

NFL QUARTERBACKS WHO FINISHED IN THE TOP 20 IN RUSHING (SINCE 1950)

At least Russell Wilson was sober

Quarterbacks: To run or not to run?

MOST RUSHING YARDS PER GAME BY A QB (SINCE 1945)

RUSHING YARDS PER GAME BY SUPER BOWL-WINNING QBS (2000S)

RG3 and The Noise

TOP 5 UNDER-25 QBS FOR COMPLETION % (MINIMUM: 750 ATTEMPTS)

ADJUSTED YARDS PER ATTEMPT FOR UNDER-25 QBS (MINIMUM: 750 ATTEMPTS)

LOWEST INTERCEPTION % BY AN UNDER-25 QB (MINIMUM: 750 ATTEMPTS)

FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED SINCE 2012

Johnny Football’s brutal baptism

HOW JOHNNY MANZIEL’S FIRST NFL START STACKS UP

51 . . . and done